KZN’s first taste of interschools league 2025

Northwood vs Michaelhouse

Northwood forwards must be licking their lips at the thought of taking on the Michaelhouse pack. This is one area where the Knights will definitely be hoping to dominate. In the backline, though, it might be a different story. Last year, if I had to pick a KZN forward and back of the season, I probably would’ve gone with lock Jake Jansen from College and flyhalf Siyanda Nkosi from Northwood. Nkosi was a real difference-maker in what turned out to be top debut season for head coach Jacques Deen. Finding someone to spark the play like Nkosi did won’t be easy.

As for Michaelhouse, they’ve definitely got work to do upfront after a dismal showing against Helpmekaar. Their lineout security is crucial, and the scrumming will need to be a lot stronger. The big positive, however, was their backline. Seven individuals who mostly contributed on their own. But the potential was there, and if they can gel and play as a team, they’ll be a nightmare for anyone. For well-respected head coach James Flemming, improvement is a key factor coming into this game.

DHS vs College

So, the first thing I did this week was see if I could track down DHS’s record win over College. I could be wrong, but it looks like it was a 30-0 back in 1927. This is a solid DHS side, and they already seem to be firing on all cylinders. That suggests they’ll be favourites for a fourth straight win over MC. It’s highly unlikely they’ll shut out MC, so the real question is, can they challenge a 30-point winning margin?

One of the big talking points in the build-up to the match is the return of Zingca Simka to DHS. Simka left School to join the Lions, where he’s been for the past few months. Now he’s back for his final season of eligibility. This also raises the age-old question of how many u19s are too many in a senior school team. DHS will field a few well-decorated u19s this year. There’s always been no shortage of critics who feel u19s shouldn’t be in school rugby, despite most being bona fide students. I’ve always thought that if a student is in his fifth year of high school (which is the case with the DHS players), he’s probably paid his dues and gone through the hard yards as a u14 in primary school, so let him play. When it comes to guys in their sixth year of high school, though, things get a bit more complicated. For one, there’s no shortage of schools that intentionally hold back students, including imports, to boost their 1st XV ROI.

From the College side of things, there’s not much to report on the team’s overall ability yet. They’re obviously under the guidance of Nico Breedt for the first time. Nico brings a ton of coaching experience, and he’ll hopefully always be remembered as one of KZN’s finest schoolboy rugby players. The opposing coach needs no introduction – Peter Engledow enjoys one of the highest profiles of any schoolboy rugby coach in the land.

In terms of leadership, headmaster Chris Luman is still around. He was supposed to retire, but the SGB extended his contract until the end of the second term. Luman’s done a fantastic job of keeping rugby culture and depth at College strong. While local state schools have downsized significantly, College can still put out a large number of teams. On the downside, College, although historically associated with Natal school rugby success for over a century, haven’t been KZN champions in yonks. The last time they won the title was probably 2002, when they went 18 from 20 and averaged 30 points per game. If the stats are correct, it means Luman isn’t alone. Ken Elliot, Clive Pearson, and Ron Jury are among the heads who’ve never seen College top the KZN league.

Kearsney vs Clifton

The Kearsney vs Clifton derby had me thinking about the word “awkward”. On the one side, there’s Bashy, the new one-stripe head coach, who vacated his Director of Sport position at Clifton for this job. Given what’s happened at Clifton, with more than 20 new staff members joining the school at the start of 2025 in a small school, you can’t blame Bashy for the exodus.

All in all, there seems to be quite a bit of unhappiness with the Exec Head down in Morningside. Some of the rugby staff left Clifton too. This opened the door for former Bok Heinke van der Merwe to take over as head coach, and fellow Glenwood staff member Jose dos Santos also joined as head of rugby. Among the other new faces, Waylon Murray, the former Kearsney Director of Sport, probably wishes the season could’ve started anywhere else, given that this fixture follows too quickly on the heels of his departure from Botha’s Hill.

For Kearsney, this could be a tough season ahead. A small grade in numbers, which started during Covid, hasn’t been successful through the age groups, and they’ll start the season on the back foot. Many seniors are already out injured, and they’re racing against the clock to get fit for the upcoming tours. Another talking point is Stott Field, which was resurfaced after the disastrous state it was in during 2024. Now, it’s in a race to be ready on time, with the heavy rains not helping matters. Kearsney weren’t the only ones affected. Hilton’s Gilfillan Field also took a hammering last season, so it’ll be interesting to see how both fields hold up this time.

Hilton vs Westville

Westville has a strong team for 2025. The big question is: do they have the BMT and staying power to become KZN champions? BMT is about handling pressure in high-stakes moments, while staying power is about consistency and endurance over time. Ville travels to Hilton to kick off their campaign. Zander Erasmus, the new head coach of the Griffins, faces off against arguably KZN’s best in Brad. Hilton is worth 5-10 extra points because of the Brad-factor. Despite this, not many people are giving Hilton the credit they deserve heading into the 2025 season. Like Hilton, Ville also has an East-to-West field (Bowden’s), so the sun in the eyes thing is nothing new to them. Perhaps the big challenge on this trip will be adjusting quickly to how the Midlands refs blow the breakdown.

St Charles vs Glenwood

Glenwood fielded a young team in 2024, and they’re expected to build on that credible effort this year. There are a few challenges at the home of the Grasshoppers. They’ve lost a number of players across their age groups, which could point to difficulties securing the type of funds needed to run a top-level high school rugby programme. Their head coach, Derek Heiberg, is a seasoned campaigner now. One of the things observers will be watching closely is how he evolves and adapts to the changing environment of working with modern-day schoolboys, while still sticking to his core coaching values and getting the best out of them.

Worth noting is that St Charles beat Glenwood 32-19 in this fixture last year.

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